Typically, soft surface cleaning involves the use of a soft surface cleaning device. A soft surface cleaning device typically comprises cylindrical agitators containing a brush or cloth. The agitator is moved across the soft surface or turned upon the soft surface to provide mechanical action to dislodge foreign matter and debris.
Traditional agitators can cause deterioration to the soft surface material. The damage caused can be attributed to the conventional agitator's orientation, pressure, and abrasiveness. Often times, conventional agitators will accomplish the opposite of that which they are designed to accomplish. That is, a conventional agitator having groupings of brush bristles have been known to thrust the debris into the irregularities of the soft surface, rather than simply dislodging the debris for eventual removal. Furthermore, aggressive mechanical action caused by brush bristles often results in pile burst and fuzzing which have deleterious effect on the physical structure of the carpet pile. Also, groups of bristles on a conventional brush could be pulled through the fiber of the soft surface, e.g., carpet, causing potential distortion and damage to the soft surface.
Similarly, the brushes or bristles of conventional hand-operated cleaning devices, such as scrub brushes, can damage soft surfaces when the soft surface is scrubbed. Furthermore, in use, conventional scrub brushes tend to grind foreign matter and debris deep into the fibers of the soft surface rather than removing such matter and debris from within or between the fibers.
Thus, there exists a need for a soft surface cleaning apparatus that reduces damage to soft surfaces, such as carpet, while being equally if not more effective than conventional agitators. Further, there exists a need for a soft surface cleaning apparatus that will not thrust debris into the surface being cleaned, but rather will aid in the removal of such debris. Similarly, there is a need for a hand-operated cleaning device that is able to effectively clean a soft surface without damaging or destroying the soft surface.